Waste Management faces possible $2 million fine

State regulators last week proposed fining Waste Management $2.14 million for missed trash pickups during last summer’s eight-day strike, which affected large portions of Snohomish County.

In an April 23 complaint, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission staff recommended penalties for failing to provide scheduled service to more than 135,000 customers in commission-regulated areas of Snohomish and King counties.

UTC staff concluded that Waste Management failed to deploy enough replacement drivers during the Teamsters strike in late July and early August. The company disproportionately sent drivers to service areas in contract cities, such as Seattle, staff said.

The commission also received 136 consumer complaints from Waste Management customers whose trash was not collected during that time.

Under state law, the commission could assess Waste Management up to $1,000 for each violation. It’s up to the three-member state utilities commission to determine the penalty at a hearing, the date of which has yet to be scheduled.